Sisu: De l'or et du sang

For as much as there is to like about Sisu, and there is a lot, the film does ask the viewer in equal parts to continuously suspend reality. Sisu is at its best in close quarters combat, when the fists and knives take center. The cinematography plays with the vast landscapes and camera techniques (one forced perspective shot of a tank staring down the gold prospector left me awestruck). The brisk runtime of 91 minutes ensures there aren't many lulls between Nazi blood being spilled. There is copious gore from both Nazis and our protagonist's unwilling desire to die. There are even damsels in distress.

I cannot say Sisu is exactly what I expected from the trailer, because truth be told, I wasn't expecting mimicry sequences of Mission Impossible hanging from a plane, Rambo stalking with a survival knife, or the other half dozen far-fetched antics. The film's unwilling desire to never take itself too seriously is both why it works so good, and perhaps what ultimately keeps it from being even better...

Heard this movie was an awesome old school action movie so checked it out, and it is good. Even if it is very over the top.

On the plus side the movie gives the audience what its been starved off. Brutal, adult action with minimal CGI. And with plenty of lines like "we're lucky he didn't kill more of us" it'll put a smile on your face if you miss 80's/90's style action.

On the negative side all the bad guys are terrible shots, and the hero is almost indestructible. Which maybe takes a bit of suspence out of the movie. Especially at the end. Much like modern superhero movies then? At least it got it half right.

At its core, "Sisu" is an unapologetic homage to the one-man-army trope, reminiscent of the over-the-top heroics found in Telugu action films. The protagonist, Aatami Korpi, is a force of nature, a man whose survival defies logic, much like the heroes who walk away from explosions unscathed. His invincibility is both the film's strength and its Achilles' heel, offering a narrative that is as indestructible as it is implausible.

Yet, amidst the chaos of its plot, "Sisu" stands tall with its stunning cinematography and special effects. The film crafts a visual feast that can only be described as mesmerizing. Each frame is a testament to the filmmakers' dedication to creating a spectacle that captivates the senses.

This was a pleasant surprise! We have Tarantino-inspired bloody action, silent and very charismatic protagonist, beautiful imaginery from actual locations in Lapland, really good soundtrack and some innovative fighting and survival scenes, and of course Finnish Sisu.

Jorma Tommila as the leading man does a phenomenal job. He has only one line in the whole movie (an instant classic), but he is acting very well just by using his face and body.

"He is not immortal, he just refuses to die."

Congratulations for the writer/director Jalmari Helander, the movie looks really good, flows forward easily and is overall very cool and original, despite the overused tropes of evil nazis and action. With just 6 million budget this looks much bigger.

Some nitpicks: the nazis speak English, even when talking with each other, which is kind of weird. But it makes sense for scenes with some Finns.

I really hope this gets much views all over the world.

Don't take the movie or events too seriously, just enjoy the ride :)

Sisu is a complicated concept. In a way it is pure stoic perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, but it is important to note that it is not just determination. It is also cleverness, that manifests itself when you most need it. Sisu is finding the solution to a problem, no matter what. This movie is definitely about that. Aatami, our "hero", finds the way.

Being old enough Finn to have known many people of this generation, this isn't even that much of an embellishment.

The movie is quite simplistic. The Finnish characters don't even talk until very late into the movie (which is actually another insight into Finnish culture). You have a goldminer with gold and a company of Nazis hunting him. You can't really go wrong with this storywise. You just have to make the characters and the action interesting enough. Do they? Yes. This might me kind of mild in the age of superhero movies and the more traditional action movies copying the superhero movies, but it works. In some ways kind of refreshing to keep it all more grounded.

While this might be more meaningful to me as a Finn, I would assume that if you enjoy mid-budget action, this will be right up your alley (although, at 6 million euros, the budget was much lower than what would be considered midlevel in bigger markets).